


Mrs. Malfoy

by Blank_Verse_Life



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Brief Mourning, F/M, Gen, Good Slytherins, Lucius has feelings, M/M, Mentor Severus Snape, Narcissa is dead, Ordered Bride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-08-11 01:16:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7869841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blank_Verse_Life/pseuds/Blank_Verse_Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first book in the Mrs. Malfoy series.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Mummy Dearest

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first book in the Mrs. Malfoy series.

_"For your failure in achieving the prophecy, I shall have take something very dear to you Lucius."_

_Dread filled his gut, making it just a little harder to keep him Malfoy mask in place._

_"Who shall it be Lucius? The one you hold dearly, or the one you hold nearly?"_

_The question seems like a trap, one he cannot afford to misinterpret._

_"M-my Lord-"_

_The Dark Lord strikes one of his favourites, hard across the face. Lucius steels himself, not wanting to give in and either flee his own home or strike back. The Dark Lord sees his internal struggling and smiles at his inner turmoil._

_"_ _Because I am a gracious Lord, I shall make the choice.... easier. Which would you rather live Lucius? Your son or your wife?"_

_Lucius is appalled, he cannot choose between the life of his wife or the life of his only son. His father's words play through his head. 'the family must come first. Blood must come first' He knows what he must do._

_"M-my.... My son my Lord. Let my son live."_

_The Dark Lord smiles at his servant._

_"Very well Lucius."_

_"Avada Kadava!"_

Lucius wakes from his memories with a start; he looks around in fright before he remembers he had surrendered the master bedroom to his Lord and had taken up one of the guest rooms. 

It had been three weeks since Narcissa's death, and he was urged to take another wife before the Dark Lord arranged one for him. He had been looking for one since the day after her death, yet not one had been up to his standards. He looked for women his own age and a few years younger but none of them proved worthy of the Malfoy title. He would just have to look at the younger ones he supposed.  
The only good thing that came out of this mess, he thought, was that Draco remained separate to his dirty Death Eater activities. He had not wanted that for his son, after he had come back into their lives Lucius was reminded of just what being a Death Eater really meant.  
He didn't want this for himself let alone his son. He had wanted to leave but fear for his family had kept him there. Now he had no choice but to regain his footing with the monster in order to keep his head, literally.

A ringing noise alerted him that someone was approaching his room. He quickly got up, snatching his wand from his bedside table and brandishing himself with it. He waited as his alarm rung louder and louder the closer the person came to his room. He steeled himself, trying to prepare himself for anything possible. The door opened with a soft ' _Alohomora_.' and in stepped Severus.

Lucius just about cried in relief at the sight of a friend, not a foe, or worse, his Master.

"Yes Severus?"

Severus looked at him over his shoulder as he turned around and reassembled the wards Lucius had put up around his room as well as some of his own. He turned back to face him, a grave look on his face.

"Lucius,"

He nodded towards the black high backed chairs in the corner of the room, Severus nodded and stiffly walked over. Gracefully sitting down in the chair, his back as straight as an arrow, he put one hand over his eyes as the other landed on the arm of the chair. Lucius sat in the other one across from the potions master, he opened his mouth to ask what he was doing so early in the morning when the man let out a very uncharacteristic groan. Lucius' eyes widened, and he sat back to better observe his friend. Severus brought his arm away from his eyes and through his hair as his other hand tightened its hold on the arm of the chair, gripping it until his knuckles turned a stark white against his already pale skin, his arm shaking lightly in distress. Lucius leaned forward ever so slightly, looking at his friend in such obvious misery chilled him greatly. Gripping his own chairs arm rests too he softly asked.

"Severus?"

The man looked up at him.

"Severus, what is the matter? What has gotten you so..." Severus sighed and sat up straighter in the chair, more so than it seemed possible.

"Lucius, it... it is looking very bad." Lucius sucked in a harsh breath, already knowing exactly what his long time friend was talking about.

"The Dark Lord has been looking at potential witches for you to court. Lucius, you had better find a bride, and fast. He is getting extremely impatient. He has no regard for age either. Some of the girls I saw in there had sat in my classroom two years earlier! I had given Alison Markie detention just a year and some months ago for ruining another students potion, and here she is auditioning to be your wife. You need to find one Lucius, quickly. For your sake, and that of Draco's."

As quick as he came, he left. Leaving Lucius to mull over his words for a few moments. What was he to do? He had already been looking into available witches, perhaps not the younger ones, but he was still failing. None of the Pure blooded witches in England that he had liked at so far were good enough, and a Malfoy never settled for second best. He had no doubt that whoever the Dark Lord picked for him would be far inferior to whomever he could pick for himself. 

With that thought Lucius squared his shoulders, and got back to work. The Dark Lord would be displeased, but he hardly cared, this was his family, he and only he were going to be in control of it. 

He quickly gathered the files he had yet to look through, and searched them, he would spend weeks looking through them at the rate he was going. He then remembered what Severus had said, he was taking girls a few years older than Draco. Well, he would just have to do the same.

He immediately looked through files that he knew were of his standards. Old families of Pureblood with at least ten generations. Once all of the ones that resided in England were rejected he moved on to all of Europe, adding some from Asia and Australia; he also figured the Americas wouldn't hurt.

He sorted for hours until he found 'The One'.  
Her pure-blood history went back further than the Malfoys, which was a feat in and of itself. She was extremely wealthy, an only heiress, which was a plus. She was magically gifted, coming from one of the most prestigious Wizarding schools in Europe, Hogwarts. Although it was demeaning and downright sexist, her file said she was very fertile. A full color picture showed the fertility spell being cast, like in all of the other files, but instead of her light glowing softly or not at all hers glowed brightly and brilliantly. Almost like a 'Lumos Maxima'. He was very impressed. Her family had had a high social standing, as well as a moderate political one as well. They were registered as a Grey or Neutral family for the last six generations, however they had a tendency to revert back to their Dark roots. She was looking more, and more like the kid of witch the Malfoys needed. He began reading more into the file, and the more he read, and the more he stole glances at her picture, the more he was convinced. She would be his new bride.

He copied down the Floo address to their legal team and scheduled to make a call. He glanced at her picture one last time, seeing her high, apple cheeks and bright brown eyes. Her hair a mixture of light and dark browns, she looked very attractive. He read more on her file as he was walking to the Floo and noticed that she was exactly a year above his own son, and that she had been a Ravenclaw. A smart witch was never a bad one. He also saw that her parents were divorced, an abomination in Wizarding Society. He marveled at the revelation, not knowing how the family had managed to keep it a secret this entire time. Their standing in society had not dropped at all, even after they had left. This information would be great blackmail if they refused to cooperate with him. It wasn't a wonder that her family quickly fled to North America, it being one of the most tolerant of Wizarding countries. He nodded in satisfaction and set to work gathering his own file to exchange. He had found his bride at last, and no one was going to stop him from marrying her.

Lucius cast a ' _Tempist_ ' and cursed at the time. It was almost time for the 'Daily Death Eater Dinner' that the Dark Lord was so fond of every evening. He quickly dressed and fire called her legal team at the firm labeled on her file. 

He was met by a stern looking wizard who requested his presence, and ask that he step through the Floo. He agreed and stepped through.  
Lucius looked around the elegant office, noticing the purple and black décor, with silver and white accents. The walls had a plum purple color with the baseboards painted a silver color. The large, and wide desk was a black wood of some kind. On the desk multiple stacks of papers were loaded down with plum and black colored  paperweights. The two wing backed chairs facing the desk were also the same plum color with white and silver lining. He nodded his approval and sat in the chair the legal wizard motioned towards. The wizard, who's name plaque said was Jeremy McFlargen, sat behind the desk as they discussed the terms and conditions of the arranged marriage.

By the close of the hour they had a contract written and ready to be signed; the only thing needed to finalize it was the bride's signature. The wizard, McFlargen, said she was currently on vacation with her father and stepmother in England. Lucius nodded and asked to arrange a meeting so that they may sign. He agreed and promised to send a notice to the family in question.  
Now that business had been taken care of he gave McFlargen a farewell and stepped back through the Floo.  
As he stepped through there was a small crowd waiting for him.

"Where were you Lucy? Where had you gone?" Bellatrix laughed maniacally. She, her husband Rodolphus, her brother-in-law Rabastan, Severus, and the Dark Lord all were within his rooms, waiting for him. The Dark Lord was sitting in the chair he, himself, had occupied just hours earlier, staring at the other chair in interest while listening to the conversation.

"Well Lucius?!" Bella snapped.  
He took a deep breath and explained where he was and what he was doing; throwing in a lie or two to make it seem like he was doing an old friend a favor by marrying his daughter.

The Dark Lord didn't say anything for the longest time, merely sat and stared. That is until he stood suddenly and pointed his wand at Lucius. He paused but for a moment before uttering a soft ''Crucio''.

Lucius fell to the ground in agony, thrashing and writhing he screamed in abandon, not caring or noticing the laughs of delight. After a few minutes that seemed like hours he stopped and allowed Lucius to catch his breath before standing. The Dark Lord looked at him in distain before speaking.

"I am most disappointed Lucius, you accepted a wife without my knowledge or permission. I am very displeased." Bella cackled with laughter.

"Let me see the file." Lucius handed over the file of her to his Dark Lord, and watched as he flipped through it. After some time he placed it delicacy on the table behind him.

"You have chosen well Lucius, better than the witches I had interviewed. I will allow this marriage to happen," Lucius almost deflated with relief.

"But,"

Lucius knew it was too good to be true.

"You must produce an heir before this time next year. Is that clear Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord." The Dark Lord smiled and nodded, he glided out of the room with Bella on his heels and her family trailing behind her. Severus looked back at him and nodded, showing that this was the right thing to do.  
As the door shut behind the party there was only one thing left to do regarding this matter, write a letter to his only son and heir, explaining that he was remarrying. As well as he was remarrying someone only a year older than he.

He sighed heavily, knowing he was in for it when his son found out. With great effort, he walked over to his newly placed desk and wrote out the letter to his son.

After a long time of writing explanations he called for an elf.

"Titly." A house elf popped in. Eyes filling with tears at the state of her master.

"Y-yes Master Malfoy." Lucius sighed and thought of what he was going to have for dinner.

"Bring me whatever everyone else had for dinner." He said with another great sigh. He put down his quill and ran a hand over his face, trying to force himself to relax.  
Titly nodded, even though he couldn't see her, and popped away to retrieve his dinner.

"Oh Draco, please forgive me."


	2. The letter of them all

Draco sat happily at the Slytherin table, eating a delicious English breakfast as the owls began to arrive. He had begun to get over the loss of his mother, knowing that the Dark Lord could never use her against him or his father ever again. She was no longer hiding under fear and anxiety, she was at peace.

She once told Draco that after Bellatrix went to Azkaban, she had thought she lost her. Until she the summer after fourth year, when the Dark Lord broke her and her husband out of prison did she realize she was correct. She had lost her sister, and in her skin stood a monster. This was spoken in hushed whispers, so not to attract attention at the time. He knew his mother's standing on the whole matter. She had never wanted this, not for herself and not for her family. She has said to him that the woman walking around his home was not his aunt anymore. She was in a better place, she was at peace. She was somewhere where no one could hurt her, and more importantly she could never be used to manipulate others. She was safe, and so were the rest of her now nonexistent family, save her son and husband.

At the time, he didn't know how she could say that, but now being wiser and older he understood completely. Never again can his mother be used against him or his father, she is at peace now, she is safe. He sighed at his morose thoughts and ate the rest of his breakfast with more enthusiasm.

He looked puzzled when his father's majestic eagle owl landed in front of him, holding out it's leg gracefully. He untied the ribbon around its leg and took the letter. He absentmindedly fed the bird some toast while he contemplated breaking the wax seal bearing the official Malfoy Crest.  
He decided better of it, seeing the hungry eyes of his fellow snakes around him. He ate his breakfast in peace, with few interruptions.

Such as the Golden Gryffindors, never minding their own, always having to sick their noses in places they don't belong. Potter especially does the opposite of what he should do, and he knows it! Sitting there glaring at Draco as though he was the bane of his existence. He smirked, loving how easily he could get under Potters skin, yet hating that Potter could do the same. He briefly looked up and met Potters blazing gaze. Determined not to lose the impromptu staring contest he started at the Gryffindor. Potters gaze never wavered in the slightest, if anything he became more intense. Draco continued to stare, Blaise nudging him, and Pansy kicking his legs didn't deter him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see just how frustrated Pansy and Blaise were getting but he couldn't bring himself to care all that much. Potter was going to break, he always did with his explosive emotions. He never could control himself, especially around Draco.  
He could see Potter's sidekicks doing the same to Potter as Pansy was currently doing to his shins. They were trying to get his attention as hard as they could, short of shaking him. He didn't pay them any attention, which gave Draco that weird little thrill he has always associated with Potter. He only had eyes for Draco, as Draco only saw Potter.

All of a sudden the air between them started shifting, that weird thrill was suddenly charged in the air between them. Unable to back out of a challenge concerning Potter, Draco remained staring. To his surprise so did Potter, not moving a muscle save his widening pupils. Potter squirmed in his seat, causing Draco to do the same. He didn't want to identify the sensations he was currently feeling, so he refused to classify them. Potter's eyes widened even further, then he panted. Draco could hear his own sharp breath, feeling his pants getting suspiciously tighter, he clenched his fists. Seeing Potter do the same he licked him dry lips in frustration. Potter's eyes immediately followed his action, which awakened something mischievous, and another part of himself he refused to acknowledge. He then smirked, not at all missing Potter's quick pants, and licked his lips slowly. Potter's mouth fell open and he too licked his lips, eyes on Draco's mouth the whole time. Draco could feel his pants getting even tighter, and his eyes widen too.

When the feeling in the air became close to suffocating, one of Potters friends heaved him up and out of his seat, breaking the weird connection. As Draco looked away he realized the Great Hall was almost empty. Pansy and Blaise stood by the doors, looking positively livid. He made a sheepish face and gathered his things. While still having the cover of the table he adjusted himself, thinking of anything other than what had happened at breakfast.  
He stood up and finally made his way over to his two best friends, at least making an effort to look apologetic. As soon as he was in arm distance, Pansy began her assault on his arms.  
"When. Are. You. Going. To. Stop?!" Each word being punctuated with a hit. He flinched from her, running to the other side of Blaise, herding him in the middle.  
"Stop what?"  
Pansy gave him a look, a long suffered look. She eventually threw her hands up in an 'I-give-up' gesture.  
"Whatever, you tell him Blaise."  
Draco looked to Blaise expectantly.  
"You need to give up this obsession with Potter, Draco. It has gone too far, it is affecting your daily life-"  
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Draco interrupted haughtily, already not wanting to discuss this topic this early in the morning.  
Blaise sighed.  
"Whatever you say Draco, all I'm trying to say is, you'll be dragging yourself, and yourself only, down with your 'not obsession'."  
Draco stuck his nose in the air and walked ahead of them to Ancient Runes. Pansy sighed heavily, heaved her bag higher on her shoulder and strutted to class; Blaise trailing softly behind her.

After Ancient Runes he headed for Double Transfiguration with the miserable Hufflepuffs.  
At least after this is Lunch, then the day is halfway over, Draco thought to himself.

After a grueling double period Draco, Blaise, and Pansy, Greg and Vincent trailing after them as always, they all went back to the Great Hall for a well deserved lunch.

"Draco."

He turned around to see his Head of House. Waiting in the shadows at the mouth of the dungeon entrance. Draco muttered to his friends, saying he'll join them in a moment, and made his way over to the professor.

"Yes Professor Snape?"

He stepped out of the shadows to face his student. Draco noted immediately that he looked paler than usual, a feat not so easily achieved. He also was leaning slightly to the left, putting as much weight on that side without drawing too much attention to it. He looked grade as he spoke to his top Slytherin.

"You received a letter from your father earlier this morning, correct?"  
Draco nodded.

"I believe it would be in your best... interest to read it as soon as possible, and respond in kind. Do I make myself plain?"  
Draco once again nodded, not seeing why a letter from his father couldn't wait until his free period, bit now also worried about said letter. Why was it so important he read it as soon as possible, and respond just as quickly? What was in the letter that caused the man so much distress?

With many thoughts and questions filling his head, he made his way to the Slytherins table and sat down between Pansy and Greg.  
Suddenly not feeling like delaying the letter any longer he pulled it out of his school bag. Staring down at the envelope he wondered what secrets it would tell, what life altering information it must contain. For this day in age, with the war upon them, it had to be life changing, it wouldn't be if the professor had to tell him to hurt up and read it. He felt the heat of stares on him, but he ignored them for now. He had a letter to read.

Breaking the wax seal he felt a moment of panic before he stifled it. This was not the time to panic, he didn't even know what was in the letter. He took a deep breath cast a few privacy charms, and began reading his father's familiar script.

 _Dear Draco,_  
_I know it hasn't been very long since Narcissa died, but I feel it has been long enough._  
_I have decided to remarry, and-_

He stopped reading after that, his father had decided to remarry?  
What was he thinking?! It, in his opinion, had not been that long since his mother's death. Yet his father has taken it upon himself to find another! He had moved on too quickly for Draco's tastes. He would be having words with him, not very nice words at that. He looked up at his godfather with a scowl, but he was studiously ignoring everyone around him in favor of his lunch. Draco's scowl deepened, he looked back to the letter and continued reading it.

_And I know this will be hard on you,_

No kidding, Draco thought.

_But the decision has been made before either of us knew it._

What does he mean by that? Draco wondered to himself.  
Was his father trying to tell him the decision wasn't his to make, in his own Slytherin way? He looked again to Severus and finally met his eyes. He asked him through his eyes the question he was desperate to ask. Severus gave a slight nod before looking back at his plate again. Draco froze, knowing what that meant.  
The Dark Lord was messing about with the order of his family, and he didn't like it.  
But he did like living, so he wisely kept his mouth shut and continued on with the letter.

_I have chosen a wonderful bride, fit for the Malfoy name._

Well that was a given.

_Although she is quite young, she will do well._

_Forgive me Draco,_

_Your father, Lucius._

Draco read over the letter a few more times, wondering about his new step-mother.  
Just how young was she, what was she going to be like, and mostly, who was she? Better yet, could she be used against them? Was she a supporter of the Dark Lord? Would she too grovel and fall at his feet like the rest? 

He decided to write back to his father after Charms, when he had a free period. He canceled the privacy charms, and when he felt heat on his back he looked over his shoulder at Pansy. She's was studiously ignoring him while trying to read his letter. He snatched the letter up and put it in between the pages of a book.

"Yes Pansy dear?" She pouted as she moved away, and back to her seat beside him.

"What did your father say?"  
Draco smirked.

"I don't believe that is any of your business Pansy dear."  
She flinched, then scowled at her lack of concealment.  
Draco's smirk remained.  
He would deal with this new information later, for now he still and Charms to get through with the Ravenclaws and then he would be free. He looked over just in time to see Potter making a fool of himself with his friends. The Granger chit was yelling something at him while the Weasel looked like he was about to be sick. Potter was giving as good as he got, yelling right back at the both of them. The obvious silencing charm worked, so no one could hear what they were saying. Although in the Gryffindor House, the most likely topic of this particular fight happened to be watching it along with the rest of the student body.  
It wasn't a secret that the two rival seekers were obsessed with the other, the only reason it wasn't brought up by either house to the other was because it simply wasn't done.  
Slytherins kept to themselves and sorted out their own. Gryffindors handled their own as well. They knew Potter was obsessed with Malfoy. The Slytherins knew Malfoy was obsessed with Potter, but no one brought up the fact that it was mutual to the other.  
It simply wasn't done.  
Unless you were friends of said boys and couldn't stand the childish games any longer.

That seemed to be one of the only things Pansy Parkinson and Hermonie Granger had in common. Their eyes connected across the Great Hall, and, for the first time, they traded looks of understanding. They slowly nodded at the other, Pansy nodded to the look in Hermonie's eyes. Hermonie gave a slight nod.  
They knew what to do.  
This childishness would stop, and the boys would see how ridiculous they were being and stop this obsession.

They would of course, but not in the way everyone wanted them to.


	3. A Disaster of a meeting

Lucius looked at the clock with dread. The Dark Lord told him in no uncertain terms that he was to be present at the meeting between him, and his future bride to discuss terms and negotiations. Lucius, however, had gotten a letter from Lord Hinchliffe himself requesting the meeting be moved three days earlier. With the Dark Lord having already been gone a week, and with no sign of returning anytime soon, he was forced to act without his opinion on the matter. He had accepted the change of schedule. 

Now, here he sat, with his family's barrister waiting for Lord Hinchliffe, and _their_ family's barrister. He had gotten there relatively early, about ten minutes, when he was already being ushered towards a closed door two minutes after arriving. He walked into a different office than the one he had seen previous. The walls were a buttery creme color, much more inviting than the formal office. The desk, smaller and more compact, was also in a dark wood, offsetting the creme walls very well. The dark hardwood floors had a carpet that was also a creme color, but it was darker than that of the walls. There were two leather couches, slightly facing the other as well as the desk. They also were a creme color, but they were perhaps the lightest of the creme shades in the room. The overall feeling of the office was much more welcoming, and disengaging. A perfect office for this type of meeting. 

After also being ushered to sit on one of the couches, Lucius took the moment to pause, and prepare his thoughts on how he was supposed to convince a man most likely his age to allow his daughter, whom was barley above his own son's age, to marry him. He looked to his barrister just as the door opened a second time. Lucius and the barrister both stood in greeting. A man, about Lucius' age, and on his arm a woman, significantly younger, both entered the room with another man, most likely their barrister. Lucius straightened his back, squared his shoulders, and held out his hand in greeting. The man, obviously Lord Hinchliffe, sized him up before grasping his hand in a surprisingly strong grip. Lucius inclined his head, "Lord Hinchliffe."

The Lord also inclined his head in greeting back, "Lord Malfoy, this is my wife, Candace."

Lucius released his hand, and gently grabbed her hand. He raised the Lady's hand to his lips, giving a slight kiss. "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Hinchliffe." She nodded her head at his politeness, and gestured over to the couches. 

"Well gentlemen, shall we sit?" 

Lord Hinchliffe led his wife, and barrister over to the other unoccupied couch, while Lucius, and his barrister went back to their couch. His barrister opened his mouth to start the meeting when the Lady interrupted. 

"Oh, just one more moment, if you will. Vega will be here short-" 

She was interrupted by the door opening. A, magnificent, young woman stepped into the room. She had short light brown hair, like that of spun copper. It was in an up-do, pinned to the back of her head with strands framing her gorgeous face. She was wearing sleeveless soft green dress robes that hugged her chest and torso, but flared out at her hips, ending halfway to her muscular calves. Underneath that she wore a white dress with a sweetheart neckline that hugged her curves, ending just above her knees. She was very short for a witch, but the perfect height to complement her. She was breathtaking to Lucius. He felt his magic reach out, and as soon as it touched hers it felt like nothing had ever before. He had never experienced anything like this, not even with Narcissa. As soon as their eyes met they both heard a sharp intake of breath, but neither could place who it was. Her eyes widened, and sparkled as soon as she caught sight of him. Lucius couldn't remember when he stood up or started to reach for her, but he stopped himself none the less. She, however, took three steps forward, and made up the distance between them. 

"Who are you?" She whispered, in a breathy voice that had Lucius shuddering. 

"I am Lucius Malfoy, and who are you?" He asked in a slight purr. Her eyes were a bright brown, almost gold in its intensity. She had a beautiful, round face, with plump apple cheeks, and a small nose.

By the darkening of her eyes, she had noticed. 

"Vega. Vega Hinchliffe." She had leaned in as she spoke. All he could see was her face. Her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her lips. That is where his eyes rested, her plump, red lips. She licked them as of to tempt him. Utterly transfixed he too leaned in until they were mere inches apart. She exhaled so heavily he could almost taste it. He breathed in, and could hear a faint whimper. Before either could move again, someone coughed rather rudely, and they were separated. She looked down at the floor, her cheeks lit with a pretty pink before going over to sit down next to her father, brushing against Lucius slightly as she walked by. 

Lucius could do nothing but stare and hope his erection wasn't on display. He looked from the girl, Vega, to her father to see a stern face looking back at him. Unwilling to back down from a challenge, he met his stare as he sat down beside his barrister. After a few tense moments Lord Hinchliffe broke his gaze to look down at his wife, glaring at her while she smiled sweetly at him. 

The next few minutes were silent as everyone in the room because lost in thought. 

Lucius couldn't understand how the girl, Vega, could elicit such a reaction from him. He had never known of a connection so strong that could take place between people whom had never met before. He had no control over his reactions, and he did not like that at all. He mentally rifled through all that he knew about magics and magical connections to see if there was some kind of possible explanation. He couldn't remember one that would cause one as powerful as what he had felt. It must be something else, he was sure of it.

 

Vega Hinchliffe tried not to get frustrated with her father for the umpteenth time that day. This was the fifth meeting they've have  _this week_ about potential suitors for a marriage contract. As she looked over her next potential suitor, she mentally evaluated him. 

He was Lord Malfoy, that much was obvious. His wife had recently passed, and he had a son two years younger than herself... Draco? Yes, Draco Malfoy. She remembered tutoring him, in exchange for the Slytherin password. 

At the thought of Hogwarts she smiled, it was her home, the only place she had ever felt completely safe and free. How she missed it. She looked sideways at her father and felt her frustration come back. 

Ever since the day she was born a healthy baby girl, her father resented her. Like all Lords, he had wanted an heir. One that would take over the estate, the family chair, and the family name. Instead he had gotten a daughter, a disappointment. 

He was never affectionate or caring, he was a "hands-off" parent; always deferring her mother to be the sole caregiver, not that her mother had much, if any, want to be a caregiver. While her father was resentful, her mother was callous. Her father berated her, while her mother rarely spoke a word to her. 

Her father was fiendfyre, while her mother was dry ice. 

She had learned to tune out his hurtful words long before her Hogwarts years, had she not she might not have made it to her teens.

Thankfully, she had Hogwarts to look forward to. When she boarded the train it was the happiest moment of her life. When she sat there being sorted she had argued with the sorting hat for nearly two minutes about which house she belonged in. Finally the hat begrudged her, and allowed her into Ravenclaw. Vega knew she was not cut out for Slytherin House, and she was damned if she was to be in the same house her father was once in. After her first year had ended, and the train took them back to the station she had finally heard from her parents for the first time since she left. Her father looked down his nose at her. "Ravenclaw..." He drawled. She had once again blocked out his harsh words, having perfected it years ago. 

Her parents didn't like the other, it was obvious. What wasn't obvious what the fact that they had lovers. She hadn't know until after her first year of Hogwarts. Since she was of school age, and was not going to be around most of the year, her parents felt there was no need to share a home with the other any longer. So her mother moved back to her home country of America, back into  _her_ family home with _her_ lovers. While Lord Hinchliffe stayed in  _his_ family home with  _his_ lovers.

Her father saw no need to restrain himself when his lovers were present, or otherwise, when berating his daughter. The lovers he had would sometimes join in and egg him on in his onslaught, most just passively watched and waited until he was finished, while some didn't like his treatment of her, those never got through to her father, why should he care when weren't going be there for long anyways?

As Vega had gotten older, her father's words became harsher and crueler. At the end of another Hogwarts year, she found herself spending more and more time at her mother's family home than with her father. Just to escape his awfulness. While her father had taken every chance he could to yell at her, her mother almost avoided her. She would much rather have been avoided and ignored than the alternative. For her last two years at Hogwarts, she had exclusively stayed with her mother, not at all contacting her father for almost two years. When the time for her graduation drew near, she had for the first time in her entire Hogwarts career, written a letter to her parents. She asked them to attend her graduation, and reminded them of how public the event was to be. What she did not expect was for her father to bring his latest lover with him on his arm, at her graduation.

It was commonplace to have lovers when paired together from a marriage contract, what was  _not_ commonplace, was divorce. Divorce is taboo, there is not supposed to be divorce in marriage, a true marriage or otherwise. There is no divorce. To divorce from your spouse is considered ghastly; it means that one is incapable of doing what it takes to make things work. 

In other words, if you divorce, you are a failure at the most important thing you have.

It all changed with "Candy". 

She had been working for Lord Hinchliffe for years, getting closer and closer to him, until they had an affair together. As was always, he had taken her as his lover. They did the things he usually did with his lovers, and the like. However, as time went on, they did not to the usual thing and break up. They stayed together.  _That_ was an extremely unusual occurrence, and marked the beginning of the end. They stayed together for two years, without any contact from his legal wife or Vega, until her letter. It had been a boundary no other had ever crossed, one does not take their lover to a family, and public, function. It wasn't done. However, whatever "Candy" wanted, "Candy" got. She attended her lover's daughter's graduation on his arm for everyone to see. 

To say Vega and Lady Hinchliffe were angry was an understatement. 

Once the ceremony had ended and the guests and graduates were mingling, Vega left the room as quickly as possible. Her mother following hot on her heels. Once inside of an abandoned classroom, they waited for the other two. As soon as Lord Hinchliffe stepped through the threshold, Lady Hinchliffe reared her hand back and slapped him, hard. The sound of the slap rang through the air for a few moments before someone spoke. 

"How _dare_ you!" Vega hissed out at her father. He snapped his neck back to look at her. Never had she ever spoken back to either of her parents, especially not in a tone such as that. Before he could get a word in edgewise, she had begun speaking again. 

"Do you have any idea how this makes the family look?! Bringing your _lover_ here, on your arm like some kind of new accessory! This is _my graduation_ , with _my peers, **everyone is here!**_ How could you put our family name at risk like this?!" Everyone in the room could see she was at her wits end, and was about to snap. Her mother silently applauded her, she had a few choice words of her own to say to the both of them. Vega turned blazing eyes on the couple. For the first time in her life, her father didn't look at her like she was beneath him. He was looking at her like an equal now. She felt her anger flare inside, finally, after years he finally sees her as a person. She sneered at them. 

"You are the most selfish, inconsiderate _man_  I have ever met! You are always putting yourself, and your _pleasures_ , before your family! Do you have any idea how this is going to look?! No! You don't! I have no idea if I should be livid with _you_ , or thankful to the _Weasleys_ , because without _their **wild stunt**_ everyone would be focused on you! 

This is single-handedly _the_  worst thing, you could have done. Why? Why on _earth_ would you bring _her_ here?! _**To my graduation no less!**_ Ah, Yes! Let's ruin every single chance at a marriage contract for Vega, because why would I give a single flying thought about my only child, when I could indulge the stupid thoughts and fantasies, of myself and my newest lover! Oh! Of course! Why should _I_ care about future generations and the family reputation when _I_ could be busy playing house with a girl _young enough_ to be my _daughter_?!" She laughed mockingly a moment, her eyes glistening with tears. Her mother saw her chance to jump in and took it. She put her arms around Vega, the first physical contact the two had had in almost a decade, and looked poisonously at the couple in front of the now closed door. 

"You know better than to bring your bed warmer here. The last person to publicly bring a lover to an event were the Parkinsons, _three generations ago_ , and they are _still_ , to this day, antagonised by other families just by the memory of it. Their social standing in society still has not recovered. Do you want that to be us?! Is this what this is?! _**Sabotage?!**_ You wish to bring us down, and plan to do so with your trollop by your side!?" He stepped forward, almost invading their space when he interrupted her.

"You _will not_ call her a trollop. That-"

"Is exactly what she is! A trollop! A bed warmer! A home-wrecker! She is _**all of it**_!" Lady Hinchliffe interrupted. 

"She even put you up to this, didn't she?! She wanted to come, on your arm, as if she was _a part_ of this family; _as if she **mattered**_." That was directed towards the lover in question, and everyone in the room knew it. 

She was tall, taller than Vega and her mother. She was quite thin, very skinny with no discernible curves. She was almost androgynous if her face, and breasts, weren't so obviously female. She had large, round doe eyes, blue in color. Her lips were small but plump, almost in a permanent pout. Her face was round, but like the rest of her, thin. She stood calmly and silently through all of the yelling, and even the character defamation. Still with her arm around Lord Hinchliffe, as if she were listening to a boring talk at a Ministry function. She looked comfortable, as if she deserved to be there. As if she belonged there. Her blank, unresponsive face only made Lady Hinchliffe more angry. 

"Well, girl, did you _demand_ to come to _my daughter's_ graduation on the arm of _my_ husband?!" Lord Hinchliffe cut across her. 

"She has a name. Call her by her name!" Lady Hinchliffe smirked viciously. 

"Well, **_Trollop_** , did you-" Lord Hinchliffe slammed his hand down on the desk beside him loudly, glaring at his wife all the while. 

"Her name is Candace, call her as such!" He snapped. Slowly, he took his hand off of the old desk, and grasped her hand, which was still over his arm. Lady Hinchliffe was not one to back down without a fight, and this time was no exception.

"I shall call her whatever I want!  _She_ is not even supposed to _be here_! This is _my_ daughters graduation," She pointed her finger at Vega, who was still silently trying to pull herself together. 

"This is still _my_ husband," she jerked her arm around until it landed on the couple, specifically the Lord. 

" _This_ , is _my family_! _**Not yours**_!" She addressed directly to the girl, Candace. Her hand was slightly trembling when she put her arm by her side again. 

"This is, _by far, **the most**_ , self-destructive thing, you have _**ever**_ done to this family. Believe it or not, I am still your wife. Me," she pointed to herself. 

" _ **I**_ am your wife,  _ **I**_ am the mother of your child,  _ **I**_ am the only woman that is allowed here. _She_?! _She_ is _not_! And, I don't give a damn who she is or _what her blasted name is!"_ She exclaimed, when she saw her husband about to cut in again about her name. 

" _ **I**_ am Lady Hinchliffe, not _her_." A quiet giggle rang through the air like a bell. Everyone looked around for the source of it, to find a small smirk on Candace's face. She, finally, stepped away from Lord Hinchliffe, and toward the unoccupied center of the room. 

"You are Lady Hinchliffe, _for now_. But not for much longer." Lady Hinchliffe looked ready to murder, Vega thought to herself that she would be in her right to, and she certainly wouldn't stop her. Just as her mother drew her wand from its holster, Lord Hinchliffe stepped up to protect his lover. Just has he pushed her behind him, did she speak again. 

"Tell her darling, tell her what we have been doing." That seemed to put time itself to a stop. Lady Hinchliffe looked to her husband. 

" **What** , exactly, do you two need to tell me?" For the first time since he arrived, perhaps for the first time Vega had ever seen, her father looked nervous. 

"I am... I have... I have recently..." 

"He is divorcing you." The words sucked all of the air out of the room at once. Lady Hinchliffe looked ready to faint on the spot, Candace looked smug, Lord Hinchliffe looked nervous and unsure, and Vega was ready to scream. 

"You... You cannot _divorce **me**_. You _**cannot**_!" 

" _Oh_ , but he _can_." Candace drawled, amusement dripping from her voice. She pulled a piece of parchment from her father's robes, and waved it at Lady Hinchliffe. 

"See for yourself." The Lady snatched the paper out of her hand. She meticulously looked through it, her face whitening with every line. Candace smiled in victory. 

"You have thirty days left to be Lady Hinchliffe. Then,  ** _I_** will be the new Lady Hinchliffe." She smiled a too sugary sweet smile at the Lord. 

" _Then_ , we can have _our own_ family." 

"No you can't." She looked away from him to see the still pale Lady Hinchliffe, clutching the parchment tightly in her hands, to see her blazing eyes. She looked at the other woman annoyed.

"And just _why not_?!" For the first time all evening, the Lady smiled. 

" _Because,_ in  _my_ marriage contract, it specifically states that  _ **I**_ am the only one he can have children with. Even through death, distance, _divorce_ , do us part. So no, you two _cannot_ have children together." Candace looked dumbstruck, she looked helplessly at the Lord, only for him to give a nod of conformation. 

"Also, as you may have forgotten," Lady Hinchliffe said, returning to her previous demeanor. She smirked at the couple before continuing.

"In America, it is more acceptable to divorce than here in England. So, _your_ social standing is going to be in ruins, while _mine_ is not even going to dent." She handed the parchment back to Lord Hinchliffe, walking past them toward the door. 

"You can play house with her all you like, now this leads me free to publicly take all the lovers I want out in public, not that that didn't stop _you_ ," She not-so-discreetly whispered as she past. 

"You two can ruin that name to your hearts content. I shall be taking back my maiden name, as well as my dowry, my things that have been left at your manor, and anything that I have bought myself. I am also going by the American way of divorce, meaning I will receive half of everything you own, I mean _we_ have owned. I shall be contacting you through my barristers, I hope we can agree on what we each shall be getting, I would hate for this to drag out and become public knowledge before you two are ready..." Lord Hinchliffe and Candace looked on in horror as she was saying was finally starting to sink in. Lady Hinchliffe, for the next thirty days anyway, smiled winningly at the pair before addressing her daughter for the first time that evening. 

"I would implore you to pack your things quickly from both manors and find yourself a husband before the rest get word of this. I did not raise you to let yourself become the bottom of the barrel without fighting the whole way down." She them turned on her heel, opened the door, and left. Never to be directly seen from again. They heard of her and from her through her family's barristers, but from that day on they had never seen her directly again. 

Lord Hinchliffe then sprang forward, looking at Vega. 

"Yes, well I know a few colleagues of mine who have nephews that would be perfect to-" 

"Or I could ingest this poison and kill myself." Lord Hinchliffe turned his neck to look at her so quickly, it made a loud snapping noise. Candace looked startled at the honesty and sincerity in her voice. Vega held up a bottle of some kind of potion. The vile was made of thick glass, they couldn't see the color of the potion within, just that it was a dark color. That did not bode well for anyone. Not Lord Hinchliffe, who would forever be without someone to carry on his bloodline, not "Candy" who would never have anyone to talk to but her lover. 

Vega Hinchliffe was nothing if not resourceful, she wasn't almost sorted into Slytherin for nothing, she knew just the potion to get exactly what she wanted with almost no consequences. 

She shook the bottle, causing the liquid inside to slosh around, and bubble. She internally smirked, her father never was a strong potions brewer; he had no idea what was in the bottle. Now his lover, she just had to rely on her not being very good at potions either to pull off her plan. 

"I was planning to do this later in the privacy of the Manor, but it seems fitting that I kill myself in the only place I had ever called home." Her father showed a brief flash of hurt, but she was a few years beyond caring how her father might feel. Candace looked sick to her stomach.

Well, Vega thought, if she couldn't handle the family drama then she shouldn't be here in the first place. 

Lord Hinchliffe attempted to take a step towards Vega, seeming to forget about his wand, and she uncorked the bottle. The fumes let out into the air, and a sickly sweet smell permeated the air. Her father stiffened, Candace gagged. Hook, line, and sinker. 

"I will drink all of it, and you shall watch me die. I cannot say I regret staying away from you these last few years. They were the best."

 Lord Hinchliffe winced, Candace looked dumbstruck. She reached out for her, her arm stretching out as far as it could go, even though her feet remained planted to where she was. 

"Please, Vega, this isn't the way to go." Vega shook her head, it was. Candace shook her head harder, tears pooling in her eyes. 

"No, it isn't. Please, we'll," She looked to Lord Hinchliffe. He was looking right at Vega, she brought the bottle to her mouth, and he made a noise of distress as a tear slipped down his face. That is what ultimately made Candace decide, she blurted out the one thing that would save her, and yet condemn them. 

"Please Vega, we will do anything." She stopped. She brought the bottle away from her lips, but not down, and looked at her guaranteed step-mother in the eyes for the first time.

"Anything?" Candace nodded. 

"Yes of course, anything!" She lowered her arm. 

"Do you swear?" She nodded again, vigorously. 

"Yes, of course, I swear!" Her father realized just a second too late just how big, and powerful, of a swear that was, but the damage was already done. The magic of the school, and the magic of the swear mixed together and settled around them like dust. The swear was accepted, now it was too be carried out. 

Vega finally smiled, she was going to get everything she wanted. Until her father saw to make loopholes, of course. They would do anything, once. So she called upon the swear and chose her task. They were to never force her to do anything she didn't want to do ever again. They could not force her to marry someone she didn't want to, they could not force her to do something she did not want to do. They could no longer force anything of her. 

From then on, she did everything in her own, her own way. She removed her meager belongings from her father's Manor, as well as her mother's, and moved them into one of her own. She looked for possible careers she could choose from. Auror was a great possibility, she had the grades, as well as the determination. She would also be a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, she enjoyed the subject of both the actual Dark Arts and the defenses against them. 

Before she could apply for either job, her mother reminded her, through her barristers, that she needed to align herself with another family before the backlash eventually hits from her father stupid decisions. 

Candace, now liked to be called "Candy", had tried to explain it to her. She had called them "Soul mates", as if they really existed. Vega wasn't fooled in the least, there were no such things. Just as there was no such thing as love, it simply did not exist. There was affection, pleasure, and romance, but never love. Love was not real. Of course that did not stop "Candy" from sighing pathetically about it. 

"Your father and I are  _soul mates,_ we're  _ **in love.**_ " As though Vega was supposed to feel something besides indigestion. No matter the stupid cause of their getting together, they were still stupidly and stubbornly determined to go through with it. 

So that is where it left Vega, to go from meeting to meeting trying to find someone that would meet her personal standards to enter into a marriage contract with. For months she had been spending all of her time on finding the perfect one, he one that would help along her plans and give her the best advantages for the life she wanted to lie. one that wouldn't be so controlling, but also one that wouldn't be so lax and forget they were even married. She wanted someone who would not be so clingy as to want her there all the time, but also someone who would still be satisfied with just her. She did not want to repeat her parents mistakes, that was for sure. she would include that in the contract, that neither she not her future spouse be allowed any lovers. That was sure to break quite a few deals, since that would be one of the subjects she absolutely wouldn't budge on. 

As the months passed, contracts were never signed dispute many suitor's offerings. The wedding came and went, it was extremely private of course, not a single reporter had caught wind of it yet which was a miracle. Yet, her contract and other documents had to be revised, so the expectancy of the divorce and remarriage was not going to last very long at all. 

So finally, after getting increasingly more desperate, their barrister gave them the requests they had not taken while her father and step-mother were honeymooning, as well as her mother's barrister giving her his requests. To her surprise she had gotten not only one from a prominent family in England, but one from the _Sacred Twenty-Eight._ She immediately looked over the files, to see it was Lord Malfoy no less. A fine prospect. 

She called for a meeting herself, and then was about to attend with her barrister when her father and new step-mother decided to meet her at the offices. She stopped in her tracks when she saw them approaching with the Hinchliffe barrister, before they could pass her she stepped in front of the trio. 

"Just what do you think you are doing here?!" She hissed. Lord Hinchliffe smirked. 

"Why, as we always are, attending a meeting between my heiress and her potential suitor." She scowled at his smug tone. 

"Well, you can just leave. Mother's barrister is the one who took the files, and planned out the meeting. You have no authority over her line." The Hinchliffe barrister looked put out but stepped down gracefully. He left and nodded to her barrister as he passed back on the way to his office. Her step-mother now smirked too. 

"Now, shall we meet this potential family?" Vega moved in front of the couple again when they tried to pass her. 

"No. You cannot." Her father smirked again, smugness dripping from his tone. 

"We cannot force you to do as we say, but in turn you cannot force us to leave. We are after all your parents." She rolled her eyes, feeling extremely vindictive.

"No, one of you are my parents, the other is just a home-wrecker that happened to have gotten the ring." She turned away and walked toward her barristers office to wait for him to call the Malfoy Lord and his own barrister. After they had been called she rose from her seat and went into the sitting room to see one of the most beautiful men in her life. She had caught glimpses of him at Hogwarts when she was younger, but she had been too young to fully appreciate it.

 His hair was like long and shiny, white- blonde like Acromantula silk. He was tall, and powerful looking. Not just in height, but he looked muscular beneath his broad-shouldered coat. He was wearing a dark blue, tailor made suit, with matching robes. Both with a beautiful light blue stitching. The man looked gorgeous. She felt magic touch her own, and soundlessly gasped. She had never felt anything like this, not e'en at Hogwarts when she came across hundreds of magics from different people. The man, Lord Malfoy, stood up and approached her. The closer he got the more she could feel his magic, she didn't want it to end. she stepped up to meet him .and had to look up to see his stunning grey eyes. She never wanted to look away. 

"Who are you?" She breathed out, not for a second taking her eyes off of his. If she had she would have seen the shudder he let out. Instead, she saw the way his eyes darkened to a dark grey, like that of the sky before a storm. 

"I am Lord Malfoy, and who are you?" He purred at her. She felt her legs give a slight tremble. His voice was a deep baritone, and so smooth like dark chocolate. She could never help herself when it came to the things she wanted, especially sweets. 

"Vega. Vega Hinchliffe." She leaned in, smelling his cologne. He smelt like vanilla, and something else she couldn't put her finger on. All she wanted to do was look deep into his eyes, until she licked her lips. then she saw the hunger in his eyes, and realized that she was starving. for what she didn't know , but she had to have it, whatever  _ **it**_ was. He only thing that she knew, was that she wanted this man, badly. He leaned in closer too, she could almost taste his aftershave potion. She felt her lungs about to explode, and exhaled. Lord Malfoy's eyes dilated wide, she could see the grey diminishing in his eyes. He inhaled as if to steal her breath away a second time by force. She heard a whimper, she couldn't be sure where, or who, it came from. Before either could move again, someone coughed rather rudely, and they were separated. She looked down at the floor, feeling all of the blood rush to her face. She turned her face and glared at her father, before brushing past the Lord Malfoy, just to tease him a little. 

As she went to sit down with her father, he gave her a severe look. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he could say whatever he wanted, but he couldn't  _do_ anything. Lord Malfoy looked at her again, and she felt her heart race, then he looked to her father. There he decided to hold a sharing contest with him. She rolled her eyes and decided to mentally evaluate him. 

 


End file.
